PREFACE.

At the installation of a Canon of S. Paul's Cathedral, it was the ancient
practice to place in his hands the Book of the Statutes of the Church, together
with a loaf of white bread, the Dean, or, in his absence, the Major Persona
present, saying these words: Nos recipimus te in Canonicum et Fratrem, et
tradimus tibi regularis observantiæ formam in volumine isto contentam pro cibo
spirituali, et in remedium laboris refectionem in pane corporalem. Whereupon
the newly-elected brother having been led to his stall, and certain prayers having
been said, he was conducted to the Chapter House, and there took a solemn oath
of fidelity and canonical obedience. (fn. 1) The oath contained the following words:
quod approbatas et approbandas hujus Ecclesiæ Consuetudines, prout eas didicerit,
observabit.

This old statutable custom has continued, with some variations, down to the
present time: sometimes a Bible or New Testament has been placed in the hands
of the Canon or Prebendary, instead of the Regularis observantiæ forma in hoc
volumine contenta; the white loaf too has not been forgotten. But in later times
there has been no volume which contained the whole of the Statutes of the
Cathedral. It would have been a hard task even to answer the question, where
are those statutes to be found ? Scattered in ancient manuscripts, some in one
place, some in another, there was no single volume, no half-dozen volumes, in
which it could be said that the Statutes of the Cathedral were comprised. It
would have been quite impossible to place in the hands of any of the Canons the
Corpus Statutorum of the Church. Dugdale, in the Appendix to his History
of S. Paul's Cathedral, had gathered together a very curious and valuable
collection of documents; but, strangely enough, there is scarcely to be found
amongst them a single statute properly so called. Archdeacon Hale, in the
Introduction to his Domesday of S. Paul's, has given a very learned and im
portant epitome of the history of the Manorial property of the Cathedral, of its
tenures and leases, and of the income of the Church during a period of 150 years,
from the middle of the twelfth to the end of the thirteenth century, richly
illustrated out of his abundant stores of learning: but his work did not lead him
to the Statutes. It must be regretted by all, and by none more than by the
Editor of the present volume, that the task of bringing to light the Statuta et
Consuetudines of the Church which he loved so well, did not fall upon that ripe
scholar, full of a peculiar erudition, now all too rare, and well-fitted by his long
researches into the History of the Cathedral to have thrown a flood of light upon
the subject. I follow in his footsteps: in love for the grand Cathedral and its
varied story, I claim to be his equal; in scholarship and critical acumen, alas! I
follow longo intervallo. If I do not refer to Dean Milman's Annals of S. Paul's,
in this connexion, it is because the whole plan of his work did not lead him to
the mere publication of documents, but rather to that rapid and keen analysis of
them for which his fame is as widespread as the English language.

In the first month of 1872, the Dean and Chapter having experienced the
difficulty to which I have referred of ascertaining what the Statutes of the
Cathedral really were, charged me, as the librarian of the Cathedral, with the
task of preparing for the press an Editio Princeps of the Statutes: hence the
present volume. At first the work appeared to lie within a comparatively narrow
compass: it seemed that the materials for it would be found amongst the documents which I had arranged and classified in the Archive Room of the Cathedral.
A wider search, however, soon disclosed much matter, the very existence of which
was scarcely suspected. The Archiepiscopal Library at Lambeth supplied curious
illustrative matter, some of which had indeed already been printed, but with
more or less of curtailment; the Registry of the Diocese of London was, as
might be expected, full of rich materials, for the most part inedited; the Library
of the University of Cambridge brought to light a most valuable manuscript of
the Statutes written by order of Dean Lisieux in the year 1450; the Bodleian
Library contributed an important volume containing Statutes and Ordinances of
the Guild of Jesus in the Crypt of S. Paul's, drawn up, as it appears, by Dean
Colet himself; the British Museum furnished many interesting details; the
Bishop of London, from his Library at Fulham, contributed two important volumes,
Transcripts of Statutes and other documents relating to the Cathedral, made
about the year 1724; and last, not least, the Archive Room of the Cathedral
contained a collection of early manuscripts of the Statutes, together with
Cartularies, Account Books, Minute Books, and other muniments of the highest
value.

For convenience of reference, both in the margin and in the notes, I have
marked each of the most important of the ancient (fn. 2) Manuscripts that I have consulted
with one of the letters of the alphabet, from A to M; the more recent Transcripts occasionally employed are designated by italic letters, from a to d: an
arrangement obvious enough, and suggested by the usual classification of Biblical
Manuscripts into uncials and cursives. It must, however, be understood that
these letters are introduced solely for the purpose of the present work, and that
they have no reference whatever to the letters by which certain Manuscripts
belonging to the Cathedral in 1447 were designated in Dean Lisieux' Catalogue. (fn. 3)
The following Table will show at a glance what Manuscripts have been used in
the preparation of Books I. and II. of the present volume, and in whose possession they now are; whilst the more detailed account of them, which will be
found in the Appendix, (fn. 4) may have some little interest for the antiquary, as it
exhibits the principal items of the very multifarious contents of these curious and
venerable volumes.

ANCIENT MANUSCRIPTS.

Contents.

When Written.

In whose Possession.

A.

Statuta Majora. Statutes. Parts I.—VI. c. 14

Temp. Richard II.

S. Paul's.

B.

Statuta Minora Parts I.—VII.

Early 15th cent.

S. Paul's.

C.

Statutes Parts I.—VII.

1450

Cambridge.

D.

Statutes Bishop Warham.

1502

S. Paul's.

E.

Statutes Parts I.—IV.

15th cent.

S. Paul's.

F.

Statutes Parts I.—IV., V.

c. 1450 and c. 1500

S. Paul's.

G.

Statutes Parts I.—V.

c. 1400

S. Paul's.

H.

Statutes Parts I.—V.

Close of 15th cent.

S. Paul's.

I.

Statutes not codified

Between 13th and 14th cent.

S. Paul's.

K.

Statutes not codified

c. 1325

S. Paul's.

L.

Statutes not codified

Temp. Edw. III. or earlier.

S. Paul's.

M.

Statutes, Collections, and Extracts.

16th and 17th cent.

S. Paul's.

TRANSCRIPTS FROM ANCIENT MANUSCRIPTS.

a.

Made by Rev. W. Hall

circa 1724

Bishop of London.

b.

Made by Rev. W. Hall.

circa 1724

Bishop of London.

c.

Made by Rev. S. Ayscough

1724

S. Paul's Cathedral.

d.

Made in time of Bishop Compton

1675–1713

F. H. Dickinson, Esq.

The above manuscripts are those which contain portions of the Statutes; the
numerous other manuscripts which have been employed in the preparation of
this volume will be duly indicated at the head of the sections for which they have
been used.

The present work is divided into five books. Book. I. comprises the Statutes
and Customs of the Cathedral as they were arranged and collected by Ralph de
Baldock, Dean of S. Paul's from 1294 till 1303–4, when he was consecrated to
the See of London, and augmented by Thomas Lisieux, Dean of S. Paul's from
1441 to 1456. Book II. contains a large collection of Statutes relating to the
Cathedral, not included in the previous book, commencing with a short series of
Statutes in their earliest extant forms, and ending with a Statute promulgated by
Bishop Blomfield in 1848. Book III. consists exclusively of documents relating
to the College of the Twelve Minor Canons, commencing as early as 1353, and
extending to a Statute confirmed by Her Majesty in Council in 1855: in this
Book will be found the body of Statutes drawn up by the Minor Canons for their
own government in 1396, both in the original Latin, and in an English version
prepared about 1530. In Book IV. are collected a series of documents illustrative of the Statutes, many of considerable interest, and all having a connexion,
more or less obvious, with the matter previously printed. Book V. comprises
Statutes, Ordinances, and Letters Patent relating to the Guild of Jesus in the
Crypt of the Cathedral. The documents comprised in Books II. to V. are
arranged in chronological order. The Appendix contains chronological lists and
tables, and an account of manuscripts consulted; two Indices, the one of Names
of Persons and Places occurring in the body of the work, the other a general
Index of Subjects, conclude the volume.

The text exhibited in Book I. is that presented by the important volume
preserved amongst the Cathedral Archives, known as the Statuta Minora, and
designated in the present work as MS. B. After careful consideration and con-
sultation with the Dean and Chapter, I decided to print the text of this Manuscript
exactly as I found it, extending the contractions, but preserving the ancient
spelling. (fn. 5) The text so formed has been minutely collated with the other manuscripts enumerated above, and any variations of interest have been carefully
noted in the margin with the letter indicating the manuscript in which such
variation has been found. Occasionally the reading in the margin will be found
preferable to that in the text: but I have preferred to exhibit one manuscript in
its entirety, so that the reader may be placed in the position of having, so to
speak, the actual text of that manuscript in his hands, whilst immediately adjacent to each line of which a various reading is found in any other manuscript,
that reading is placed before him. The labour of these minute and repeated
collations has been very considerable, but I think that the result has justified
the expenditure of time and trouble. As the text has not been in any way
tampered with in this edition, but is presented, so far as I could accomplish that
result, with literal accuracy, many very obscure passages will be found: but I
have not considered it at all desirable to attempt to alter the barbarous Latinity,
nor even to correct the not infrequent false concords; in short, my object has
been simply to present the ipsissima verba of the Statutes themselves, in the full
persuasion that the accuracy of the printed version of the text will more than
make amends for its roughness. In the selection of the rubrics or headings of
each chapter a little more latitude has been allowed: these rubrics vary in every
copy, some copies having scarcely any; I have chosen those which, on the whole,
appeared to give the best insight into the subject of each section.

By far the greater part of the volume has never been before printed, and I
must ask the indulgent consideration of the reader for any errors that he may
discover: in transferring so large a mass of matter from very many manuscripts,
in all kinds of handwriting, in all states of preservation, and of dates varying from
the twelfth to the nineteenth centuries, it can hardly be but that many errors of
the pen or of the press have escaped notice. Few save those who have themselves
undergone this kind of labour know its difficulty. I have made three-fourths of
the transcripts necessary, and have prepared the indices, mea manu; and have
collated the proof sheets with the originals whenever that was possible.

It had often been a matter of curious inquiry, how it had happened that so
many manuscript volumes of the Statutes, so many Royal Charters, and Deeds,
escaped the destructive fire to which in 1666 almost the entire Library of the
Cathedral, as well as the Church itself, fell a victim. In the course of some
researches in the Bodleian Library I was fortunate enough to discover the name
of the preserver of these treasures. One Mr. John Tillison, (fn. 6) in a Paper
concerning his Receipts and Services at S. Paul's, preserved amongst the Rawlinson Manuscripts, says, that by his own "great labor, dilligence, and charge," these
invaluable Records were preserved. (fn. 7)

In the notes, I have thought it of importance that the reader should have
always before him the exact date, so far as it could be ascertained, of the section
which he was perusing: and hence, I have repeated, with what may seem
wearisome iteration, short notes giving the date of the election, consecration,
translation, or death, of the principal persons named in the particular passage.
One knows how inconvenient it is to turn to a chronological table at the end of a
book, and (although such a table is not wanting) I believe that these intentional
repetitions will not be found useless.

As for the Introduction, I will only say that a thick volume and long leisure
to prepare it would be necessary to do justice to the great mass of material
collected here. In the intervals of an active life it is difficult to seize the time
which is necessary for such a work: quiet and seclusion are requisite rather than
the scattered hours snatched from the brief leisure gleaned after public duties are
done. No one can feel more fully than I its shortcomings. It is rather a large
Preface than an Introduction. I would ask for the kind consideration of my
readers. To the Historian I would say, with Bishop Horne in the Preface to his
Sermons, "I have done as well as I could, and know not that it will be in my
power to do better. Accept such as I can give, and pardon errors and imperfections. I stand at the door of the Temple with my torch. If you would view its
glories enter in." Or, in the words of the Author of the Second Book of
Maccabees: "If I have done well, and as is fitting the story, it is that which I
desired; but if slenderly and meanly, it is that which I could attain unto. And
here shall be an end."

The agreeable duty remains of tendering my sincere thanks to all from
whom I have received important assistance: to his Grace the Archbishop of
Canterbury for that free access to the priceless treasures of his Library which my
position at Lambeth has secured me; to the Lord Bishop of London for most
kindly allowing me to have at my own house, and for as long a period as was
necessary, two important volumes of Transcripts relating to the Cathedral; to
the Bishop again and to his Registrars, John Shephard, Esq. and John B. Lee,
Esq. for free access to the Episcopal Registers and other documents under their
care; to the Dean of Peterborough for kindly presenting to me a copy of the privately printed Statutes of that Cathedral; to the Dean and Chapter of S. Paul's,
for that acquaintance with their ancient records which my office as Keeper of the
Cathedral Archives gives me; to my brethren of the College of the Minor Canons
for most readily placing at my disposal the Archives of the body; to H. Bradshaw,
Esq. Librarian of the University of Cambridge, by whose courtesy I was allowed
the use of MS. B. for many months at my own house; to the Rev. W.D. Macray
for much kindness shown to me at the Bodleian Library at Oxford; to Professor J.
S. Brewer and to James Gairdner, Esq. of the Record Office, for kind assistance in
dating several manuscripts; to F. H. Dickinson, Esq. for the sight of his ancient
transcript of the Statutes; to my old friend the Rev. W. H. Seggins for much
help in the tedious task of collation; to John Gough Nichols, Esq. for suggestions
during the progress of the work and for assistance in the revision of the proofs;
to E. Levien, Esq. of the department of MSS. British Museum, whose aid in
looking over the proofs for press, and supplying in many cases correct readings
and emendations in doubtful and corrupt passages has been of much service;
and if last, certainly not least, to my Wife for long and persevering help in the
tedious work of compiling the large Indices to the volume.

5. When mere errors of the scribe are corrected, as at p. 39, where B. reads constabulationes for
confabulationes; or at p. 59, where, from the familiarity of the phrase, he had written orbis terrarum
instead of terrarum in MS. A.; or at p. 61, where B. C. E. and F. agree in writing injungendus, whilst A.
correctly has unguendus; or when B. and F. agree in reading moribus for morbus, as at p. 83; or injunccionem for minucionem (words much alike in old MS. if no dots are placed over the i's, compare imuncionem
and minucionem); the corrections will be found to be carefully noted. But I have not thought it necessary
to note such variations as Beati Pauli for Sancti Pauli, nor the omission nor insertion of S. Pauli after
Ecclesia Cathedralis, nor transposition of words not affecting the sense, nor variations of spelling not
affecting pronunciation. I have, however, printed j for i, and v for u, when necessary. Some
marginal readings have been inserted mainly for the purpose of exhibiting the kind of error into which
the transcribers most commonly fell. I have treated the word London as indeclinable, because the manuscripts rarely agree as to the form in which it is to be extended, but very frequently use it without any
mark of contraction whatever. In English documents the spelling and contractions are retained, as not
being likely to perplex any reader.

6. Is this the "Mr. John Tillotson, Clerk of the Works, Auditor to the Dean and Chapter of S.
Paul's, and Controuler to the so well gouverned Household of the most Reverend, Right Honourable,
and Universally Learned William [Sancroft] Lord Archbishop of Canterbury," of whom Payne Fisher
makes mention in his Tombes, Monuments, and Sepulchral Inscriptions lately visible in S. Paul's Cathedral,
p. 113 ?

7. He complains, however, that his services had never been adequately recognised.
"To balance those many great Advantages by me received wch the Dean and Chapter of S. Paul's
have lately taken notice of, I offer the following Considerations.
"That in the late Dreadful Fire, Anno 1666, I secured all their Plate, Charters, Books, and
Records, not without great labor, dilligence, and Charge, both in my own person, and in imploying of
others; of all wch things, not the least particle had been saved had I been either Slack or negligent; and
yet, notwithstanding all this, not the least notice has been taken of me for it, but on the contrary a
continuall heaping vp my many advantages, to prevent (as I conceive) my being justly requited." Rawlinson MSS. 372 B. fo. 24.